And so I’ve decided now to open up the mount and begin the process. I really helps a lot watching a few YouTube videos and reading Rowan Astronomy‘s instructions thoroughly.
There are a few minor steps that would easily make me damage my mount. Below are a few photos attached from the very first steps of taking the mount apart.
In the Twin Cities arts community, Petronella “Nell” J. Ytsma’s name is as synonymous with her epic Agent Orange project as it is with taking pictures of other artists’ work.
“Whether it was Agent Orange or in her personal work … if she was living it, breathing it, a lot of people liked to talk about it, and she could see it in a way that we often don’t see in today’s world,” said her husband, Mark Sauer. “She was compassionate. She was considerate. She was concerned — her moral comfort compass never deviated.”
Her dedication to social activism was evident in her work, from protesting the Vietnam War in her youth to visiting Vietnam and documenting the effects of Agent Orange using a Hasselblad camera for her “Legacy” series. She also took pictures of the Park Square Theater’s early years of productions as well as various political events.
Ytsma, who stood nearly 6 feet talland was a regular swimmer, had just returned home from a workout Sept. 2 when she unexpectedly died of natural causes. She was 73.
Born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1948, at 7 years old she immigrated with her family to a Dutch colony in Grand Rapids, Mich. She was in social work until it burnt her out, and off she moved to Minneapolis in 1979to pursue photography. She already had friends here, so it was a soft landing and a fast beginning.
She made a living as a photographer, and though she was a staff photographer at Mia for eight yearsand at the Park Square Theater, and did some university photo instruction, she was known for documenting other artists’ work.
“Everybody I knew who won a Bush Award or a McKnight Fellowship, she photographed them,” said artist Dan Bruggeman, whose work she photographed for decades. “It was a combination of the quality of the work but also that the presentation was always so excellent.”
She met Sauer in 1981 when she happened to be documenting his friend Jody Isaacson’s senior show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They married in 1992 and lived on the second floor of a former fire station in St. Paul. Sauer’s boat repair shop, St. Paul Shipwrights, and her studio are on the ground floor.
Ytsma’s has been included in exhibitions at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Dubuque Museum of Fine Art, Augsburg College, and abroad in Berlin, to name a few. She was the recipient of a Percent for Arts grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, and a CUE Award, among others.
Kathy Daniels, former director and curator of the St. Catherine University art gallery, curated Nell’s “Legacy” project and also organized a symposium around it. The two first met in 1993 when Ytsma was in a group show, “Women and Land,” at St. Catherine University and became fast friends.
“She spent a long time there and made friends and got into little villages and people’s homes,” said artist Tim Harding. “She was just deeply moved by the whole experience and she talked about it, you know, whenever you bring it up, she would not hold back.”
She also worked closely with people who were dying during the AIDS crisis. She would often invite the dying into her home and care for them, at a time when their families abandoned them.
“The kindness demonstrated by something like that affected I think everybody but especially, you know, I can only speak for me,” said Bruggerman, “But I thought, ‘I should emulate that.’ She was inspiring.”
Along with her husband Ytsma is survived by siblings Edward Ytsma of Shrevport La., Joyce Huizinga of Tuskaloosa Ala., Willamina Godec of Cleveland, Cathy Mahynski of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Theodore Ytsma of Seattle, Wash.
A public memorial is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Weisman Art Museum, 333 E. River Parkway, Minneapolis.
The American love of mountains is inextricably tied to the long history of mountaineering in Europe. While the U.S. would later be responsible for the resurgence of the sport in the 1960s, the original golden age of alpine mountain climbing comes, fittingly, from the Alps–the wonderland of glacial massifs spreading from Switzerland across Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. As the first major waves of settlers crossed the Rockies during the Gold Rush, British and Swiss climbers, with their French guides, were setting a new standard in adventure and popularizing a lifestyle and aesthetic which would echo across time and all subsequent feats of natural exploration.
To put it more succinctly, from the moment the American populace encountered the majestic ranges of the west, they conjured up images of the twisted peaks of the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn, emerald sanctuaries of flowered meadow, weather-worn redoubt chateaus, and the thrilling plunge of a snowy downhill slope.
Thus, when you find yourself driving through the evergreen ridges of the eastern Cascades, it should come as no surprise to find a Bavarian hamlet nestled among the cedars and firs. This is Leavenworth, one of the better-kept secrets of Washington State for both lovers of nature and those with a passion for culture.
A gentle breath of veiled sunlight caresses the rocky banks of a clear river as it makes its way through a deep mountain valley. The faint chill of autumn on the way inspires embers of bright foliage along the banks and up on the hillsides. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
Leavenworth Washington Nature Photography
For nature photographers, the areas to the South & West of Leavenworth are a visual playground year round. This is especially true in the autumn months when Tumwater Canyon and the entire area from Stevens Pass through the town of Leavenworth explodes with autumn brilliance. My home is just a short two hour drive from Leavenworth, allowing me to visit many times each year.
Just outside of Tumwater Canyon, Icicle Creek and the entrance to the Enchantments, Lake Wenatchee State Park and countless other visual sights beg you to pull the car over and grab a few photos or take a walk along the Wenatchee River as it slowly meanders through the canyon.
A rush of clear water races down from the forbidden peaks of a range of misty mountains. Along the rocky banks, flashes of gold announce the arrival of autumn to the high places. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
History of Leavenworth Washington
Leavenworth is a central European mountain town in every sense (other than location), yet its charming appearance belies an unexpected history.
The Chinook, Yakima, and Wenatchee peoples called the tranquil vale on the Wenatchee River their home until the coming of white settlers in 1892. These groups arrived with the coming of the Great Northern Railway which aimed to connect Seattle with St. Paul, Minnesota. With a fast and reliable conduit to one of the largest timber industries in the country at the time, logging quickly became the major industry of the fledgling community. By the early 1900s, it was home to the second-largest sawmill in the world.
Fortunes changed, however, when the Great Northern was diverted to pass through the larger town of Wenatchee to the east in 1925. The logging and sawmill operations foundered, and even the less transport-reliant industries like fur trading and gold mining either dried up or fell on hard times as well. For three decades, the town limped along, constantly on the brink of becoming a ghost town.
Then, in the early 1960s, town leaders formed the LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement for Everyone) committee in an attempt to escape the quagmire. The town had seen brief success during the depression with the introduction of a small local ski slope, and it was to tourism that the committee now looked again. In the mid-60s, members Ted Price and Bob Rodgers hit upon the idea of transforming Leavenworth into a theme-town, fashioned after the mountain villages of Bavaria, in the northern reaches of the Alps. Inspiration and guidance for the idea was furnished by the town of Solvang, a Danish enclave nestled among the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains northwest of Santa Barbara which had also seen major success as a tourist destination.
The ensuing remodel, which saw most of the town reconstructed in a south-German style, was an expensive gamble, but a resounding success. Combined with recreations of traditional German festivals and cuisine, and the addition of new ski resorts on the surrounding slopes, Leavenworth became a must-see attraction for anyone passing through the Cascades.
A tangled web of skeletal branches lace together the ashen trunks of a grove of aspen near Leavenworth, Washington. Unfazed as yet by the chill of winter, the fiery hues of the autumn undergrowth bleed through a hush of fog. Fine Art Limited Edition of 100.
Leavenworth Culture
Organized along an alpine Bavarian theme, the appearance and culture of the town closely resemble that of a traditional 19th century German village.
The architecture of the town is mostly comprised of black-and-white half-timbered structures which will most readily be identified with Tudor and Tudor-Revival style buildings, but which have also been a staple of German architecture since the Middle Ages. Gothic fonts and woodblock graphics adorn many of the shops and restaurants, further conveying the feel of an old-world hamlet.
The food to be found in Leavenworth also largely conforms to traditional German cuisine. With brathauses and biergartens scattered along the main street, visitors can sample popular German sausage and wash it down with a stein of cold gold lager.
To complete the experience, a number of festivals are held each year, some with German roots, and some unique to Leavenworth. Of those which are novel inventions, the Autumn Leaf Festival celebrates the vibrant colors of the surrounding Cascade foothills. Tourists can enjoy rock climbing events, rose planting, live music, and even a car show. During the Christmas Lighting Festival, the town is decked in over a million lights of all colors, with visits to Santa, ice skating, carriage rides, music, and more. In terms of traditional festivities, the biggest event is, of course, Oktoberfest. Here, every fall, guests can drink their fill of hearty German beer while enjoying classic German attire, participating in contests, listening to music, and much more. Not to be dismissed or forgotten, however, there is also Maifest, the annual spring festival which includes Maipole dancing, Bavarian music, and a costumed Grand March through the town by the locals.
Despite its orchestration as a tourist attraction, the sights and scenes of Leavenworth leave nothing to be desired, as faithful and immersive as a visit to the old country itself.
A dense stand of quaking aspen sits on the edge of a meadow near Leavenworth, Washington. A brilliant canary yellow spreads through the boughs–a sure sign of cooler weather to come. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
Winter Sports
Of course, no reproduction of an alpine village would be complete without some offering of winter sport. Though not in league with the snowy meccas of Zermatt or Aspen, Leavenworth offers a number of lodges and slopes for skiers and snowboarders when the days get short and chill. Mission Ridge Resort and the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club are the best ways to get out on the slopes, and Steven’s Pass is the most popular destination for people of all ages and skill levels.
Torrents of troubled whitewater rush across the silken surface of a stony rapid as the wide ribbon of a mountain river is funneled through a spell of shallows. Golden boulders, adorned in dark bands of algae, jut from the sparkling veil. Fine Art Limited Edition of 50.
The Natural Wonder of Leavenworth Washington
The true beauty of the surrounding Cascades, however, can only truly be witnessed in summer. Here, the similarity of the country to the high Alpine wilds of Europe reaches its peak, and in many ways even surpasses it in terms of natural beauty. The jewel of the region, and perhaps of the entire Cascade range, from California to British Columbia, is the Enchantments. Not ten miles from Leavenworth, nestled among a formidable fortress of high rocky crags and glaciers is a collection of sapphire pools arrayed just beneath the clouds. Each year, a special lottery is held by the National Forest Service to allot backpacking permits to those wishing to visit the area. Only twenty-four people are allowed in the entire region per day to preserve the stunning yet fragile scenery.
Yet, the Enchantments are only one small sector of the sprawling Cascades, and every corner of its snow capped peaks and hidden valleys is filled with beauty and wonder. Skiing, hiking, fishing, rafting, and mountain biking are all within reach. Leavenworth offers a perfect base camp for exploring this wilderness, and a welcoming respite from the rigors of the United States’ own unique brand of alpine adventuring.
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Leavenworth is an unorthodox experiment, but one which has become a marvelous success. Nowhere else in the country are the festive traditions of a Teutonic past so gracefully interwoven with a landscape of tranquil wilderness. It’s a strange combination, but one with great historic precedent, and any trip to the little hamlet in the hills will be an experience long cherished and fondly remembered.
Flurries of ruby and gold crowd the banks of a tranquil stream in the heart of autumn in the mountains. A frosty shroud of fog obscures the forbidden scarps higher up in the alpine vale. Fine Art Limited Edition of 200.
The Celestron NexStar 8SE computerized telescope is one of the best-selling telescope packages of all time. It features a large aperture optical telescope and a computerized GoTo mount.
The NexStar series of SCTs have been around for over a decade, and I was finally able to experience this beginner-friendly telescope for myself.
I was impressed with the completeness of this package, from the 1.25″ 25mm eyepiece and diagonal, to the red dot finder mounted to the 8-inch OTA.
Celestron NexStar 8SE Video Review.
This is a primarily visual telescope, meant for enjoying views of the moon, planets, and the brighter nebulae and galaxies through the eyepiece.
But what about astrophotography? The design of the tracking telescope mount (fork-mounted Alt-Az) wasn’t designed for it, but is it a complete waste of time?
In this post, I’ll show my results using Celestron’s NexYZ smartphone adapter. If you’re in the market for a grab-and-go telescope (that excels in views of the moon and planets), I think you will enjoy my review of the Celestron NexStar 8SE.
Celestron NexStar 8SE Review
Is this the all-in-one telescope package that does it all? Not quite, but that’s okay. It gets the important parts right. The telescope OTA (optical tube assembly) is top-notch, while the mount is just enough to get you by.
I asked the AstroBackyard community on Facebook how they felt, and almost all of them had amazing things to say about this telescope. From seeing their first-ever view of the planet Saturn to surprisingly impressive astrophotography, the NexStar 8SE is a widely appreciated piece of kit.
Here is a spectacular photo of the planet Jupiter, captured by Christian Ralph using his Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope.
The planet Jupiter captured using the Celestron NexStar 8SE (Christian Ralph).
There are a few quirks of course (the red dot finder scope is rudimentary, and the single-arm fork mount is a little wobbly), but overall everyone seemed to agree that it was a smart purchase and they got a lot of use out of it. Some people even mentioned that had sold the scope, and wished that they had kept it.
As an astrophotographer, the first thing I noticed was the Alt-Az fork mount, and that’s not what you want if your primary interest is long-exposure astrophotography. (An equatorial telescope mount is best).
But, people have taken impressive images with this telescope, it just requires a different approach. If you’re into photographing planets the Celestron NexStar 8SE will work out just fine. This 8″ SCT was meant for crisp views of solar system objects, and that is where it excels.
If you look at the specifications for this telescope, it highlights some pretty impressive potential for a variety of visual observations. I can see why beginners are drawn to this package as their first serious scope.
The NexStar 8SE is great for spur-of-the-moment observing sessions of the moon or planets.
NexStar 8SE Telescope Specifications
Aperture: 203 mm (8″)
Telescope Focal Length: 2032 mm
Focal Ratio: F/10
Camera/Eyepiece Connection: 1.25″ Nosepiece
Diagonal Included: Yes
Tripod Weight: 10 lbs
Tube Weight: 12.5 lbs
Computerized: Yes
Drive Type: DC Servo motors
Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
Secondary Obstruction: 35mm
Tube Diameter: 226mm
Tube Length: 432mm
Included Items
8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain OTA
NexStar SE Mount: Motorized Alt-Azimuth/ GoTo
Tripod with Adjustable Steel Legs
Red Dot Finderscope
Accessory Tray
NexStar+ Hand Controller
1.25-inch Star Diagonal
1.25-inch, 25 mm Eyepiece
Mini-USB Port
Celestron Starry Night Software
2 Year Warranty
First Impressions
Setting up the Celestron NexStar 8SE for the first time was a quick and painless experience. Once assembled, the entire kit is light enough to be carried around the yard if necessary.
I used an AC adapter to plug the mount into household power in the backyard, but this mount can also be powered via 8 x AA batteries for complete mobility.
Although the red dot finderscope is simple and inexpensive, it is surprisingly effective at confirming the pointing direction of this high magnification telescope.
Tripod
Right out of the gate, I noticed a few things. The tripod I would call “medium-duty”, it’s similar to the one that comes in the newest Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI package. It seems stable enough for a mount and scope of this size, and it keeps weight down for travel.
The trade-off of a heavier more stable tripod probably isn’t worth the extra weight. The mount head connects securely using 3 threaded bolts. It has a nice design and it feels secure.
Single Arm Fork Mount
The mount head unit and fork arm have a plastic outer casing, reminding you that this is a budget-friendly GoTo telescope package. The Celestron NexStar remote seats neatly inside of the arm, which is a clever space-saving design.
Users of this Celestron NexStar 8SE mentioned that a dual-arm fork design (like the one on the CPC series telescopes) would help the OTA feel a lot more secure. The motorized mount head is where the cost savings come into play. It feels a little “toy-ish”, but the 8″ NexStar OTA reminds us that this is a serious telescope.
Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
It’s an 8-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope with a focal length of 2032mm at F/10. The orange tube Celestron SCT has been in production since 1970, and for good reason. It packs plenty of light-gathering power into a compact, practical size.
The optics on this telescope deliver crisp, high-contrast views, thanks in part to Celestron’s Starbright XLT optical coatings.
This telescope collects light at an f-ratio of F10, which is much “slower” than a typical reflector or refractor telescope. This means that the fainter nebulae and galaxies will be tough to observe, especially if you’re observing the night sky from a light-polluted city.
The 8″ SCT optical tube assembly mounted to the single-arm fork mount.
NexStar Hand Controller
The Celestron NexStar 8SE includes a NexStar hand controller, with over 40,000 objects in its database. The hand controller fits neatly inside the arm of the fork mount, and can also be extended for use while at the eyepiece. This is a clever design and works well in the field.
25mm Plossl Eyepiece
A 1.25″ 25mm Plossl eyepiece was included with the telescope. This is a useful magnification for a variety of objects in the night sky from planets, to bright galaxies.
It is important to use an eyepiece that does not have a high magnification when aligning the telescope. You may want to purchase an even wider eyepiece (such as a 32mm Plossl) for this purpose.
The higher the magnification of the eyepiece, the more “searching” you will have to do to align the telescope mount to a bright star.
Portability
Even with the large aperture SCT telescope, the entire kit weighs just 24 lbs in total. The mount, telescope, and tripod can break down into individual parts for easier transport.
This telescope is much easier to bring with you to a dark sky site than an equivalent aperture Dobsonian telescope.
The fully-assembled setup can easily be lifted up and moved across the yard, or brought back into your house or garage.
GoTo Computerized Mount
One of the biggest draws to this telescope, aside from the compact, travel-friendly design, is its computerized GoTo functionality. You can choose an object you would like to view on the hand controller, and the telescope will point right to it.
Of course, to do this, the telescope needs to be where it is on earth for accurate pointing. Luckily, this is a dead-simple process called “SkyAlign“.
The SkyAlign feature is used on several Celestron mounts including the NexStar GT, NexStar SLT, NexStar SE, NexStar Evolution, SkyProdigy, Astro Fi WiFi, and CPC telescopes.
To align the mount you need to point to (and center) three bright stars in the night sky.
You don’t have to know the location or name of a single star in the sky for it to work. You simply choose your location from the database, I chose Toronto (close enough), and point the scope at three bright stars. Any 3 bright stars.
To help you point directly at them, you can use the included red dot finder. Keep both eyes open, and move the scope until the red dot is directly on the star. When you look in the eyepiece, it should be right there, or very close.
Then center the star, and confirm these 3 positions. Once that is done, your telescope knows exactly where to point.
On my first night out with the Celestron NexStar 8SE, I chose to observe the Ring Nebula in the cancellation Lyra. Sure enough, with the simple SkyAlign routine performed beforehand, the telescope slowed right to it, first try.
Now that is a positive first experience. Bravo Celestron.
Recommended Accessories
To really enjoy using this high magnification telescope, do yourself a favor and pick up a nice wide-field eyepiece. As I mentioned. the NexStar 8SE package includes a 1.25″ 25mm Plossl, which is a decent start.
A wider eyepiece will make the star alignment process a little easier and makes for a brighter view. I tested an old Celestron 32mm Plossl eyepiece on the 8SE, and it provided a slightly wider, brighter view through the telescope.
A wider (lower magnification) eyepiece will make the SkyAlgin process easier because the alignment star will be easier to locate in a larger area of sky. If you are looking for a suggestion, I recommend the Tele Vue 32mm Plossl Eyepiece.
If it’s planets you’re after, get a decent high magnification eyepiece too, something in the 10mm or lower range. Keep in mind that the view through a high magnification eyepiece under 10mm will be much dimmer.
The Celestron Luminos 10mm eyepiece is great for viewing planets up-close.
Celestron NexYZ Smartphone Adapter
Yes, you can do astrophotography with the Celestron NexStar 8SE! The simplest way to get started is to use your existing smartphone, and hold it up to the eyepiece of the telescope.
Using this method (eyepiece projection astrophotography), you can capture impressive images of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and even Mars. Keeping the phone still enough for a photo, and lining the camera lens up with the center of the eyepiece is the tricky part.
Thankfully, the Celestron NexYZ smartphone adapter can help with these tasks, thanks to a clever 3-axis design. The adapter clamps on to the objective of the eyepiece (both 1.25″ and 2″ eyepieces), and securely holds your phone in place.
The Celestron NeXYZ Smartphone Adapter.
You can use the 3-axis adjustment knobs to center your smartphone’s camera lens in the eyepiece. Using the “pro” or “manual” mode of your camera, you can fine-tune the camera settings to take an amazing photo of the Moon’s surface or Saturn’s rings.
Smartphone astrophotography with the Celestron NexYZ adapter is best for pictures of the moon and bright planets. Deep-sky astrophotography (of galaxies and nebulae) will require additional hardware such as the Celestron NexStar SE & Evolution Wedge and the proper adapter and t-ring for your DSLR.
Related Post:How to Attach a Camera to Your Telescope
Best Objects to See in the NexStar 8SE
The Celestron NexStar 8SE is best used for high-magnification views of the Moon and planets. Using the included 25mm Plossl eyepiece, the views of Saturn and Jupiter are incredible.
The SkyAlign feature allows you to get up and running quickly, so you can start observing sooner. Here are some examples of objects you can enjoy seeing through the Celestron NexStar 8SE, even from your backyard:
The Moon
Saturn
Mars
Jupiter
Venus
Ring Nebula
Dumbbell Nebula
Pleiades
Andromeda Galaxy
M13 Globular Cluster
Final Thoughts
I have a soft spot for equipment that makes the astronomy experience welcoming and approachable. Too many beginners have had a frustrating experience on their first night under the stars, and many of them do not return to the hobby.
The NexStar 8SE can deliver you your first view of the planet Jupiter, or the Andromeda Galaxy. Getting to this point is straightforward and rewarding, and does not require existing comprehension of the night sky.
The single-arm fork-mount design isn’t perfect, and it sacrifices stability for a compact, portable design. In a nutshell, the telescope and optics are fantastic, the mount is not.
When slewing the telescope at slower speeds (4 or below), I noticed that the response is “laggy”, meaning that the telescope does not move for a second or two after pressing the arrow button.
Be advised that touching the telescope or eyepiece while viewing an object will result in a shaky image, so keep those hands off while observing. This is something you will need to get used to.
The NeXYZ smartphone adapter is a great little design, probably the best one on the market. But capturing anything other than the moon or planets will be challenging.
Others have done it, but unless you’re willing to put the time in using a phone for deep-sky, stick to solar system objects.
You can fasten a DSLR camera or planetary camera to the telescope for much better images, but to accurately track objects you will need to invest in a wedge to orient the telescope towards the celestial pole.
The NexStar SkyAlign system is dead simple to perform, and you can skip over the polar alignment process and get straight to observing. The telescope can find and follow an object in the night sky for you.
Saturn stayed in the center of the eyepiece for almost 20 minutes at over 2000mm focal length – try to do that with a manual dob.
The 8″ telescope has enough aperture to deliver amazing views of the moon, planets, and brighter nebulae and galaxies. If the price of the 8SE is too steep for you, you have options. This telescope comes in 4, 5, and 6-inch versions.
The NexStar series of computerized Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes.
Overall the Celestron NexStar 8SE is a remarkable product, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a practical, travel-friendly, visual scope that allows you to get your feet wet in astrophotography.
Until next time, clear skies!
I was loaned this telescope from OPT for testing purposes, and was under no obligation to provide a positive review, nor was I compensated in any way for this article (or video).
It’s October again, and as timely as ever, the latest face-enhancing software Portrait Pro 23, has been announced with numerous enhancements that will make your portrait images look better than ever.
This version of Portrait Pro 23 takes an interesting turn with a selection of highly effective Art effects that can be applied to your images. These Art Effects will enable you to transform your images from photographic portraits to works of art within a few clicks.
The new version of the software has also been greatly enhanced to make the most of the new processing power offered by Apple’s M1 and M2 processors.
Along with the performance enhancements, a few more traditional effects have been added. These include a Backlight Lighting Brush that enables you to brush in backlighting even if there was no backlight when the image was taken.
Another new tool helps tidy hairstyles and beards with the Stray Hair Remover Tool.
If you want to try out the new features, head over to the Anthropics website to download a trial or buy the Portrait Pro 23
Stranded people along with their belongings wade through a flooded street after leaving their flood … [+] homes (Pakistan, August, 2022). (Photo by Fida Hussain.
AFP via Getty Images
The 2022 Living Planet Report, released earlier this month from the World Wildlife Fund, showed a dramatic decline in monitored populations of wildlife across the world – a 69% decline in abundance, on average, since 1970. A few days ago, I wrote about how halting, and then reversing, this decline will require far more comprehensive actions than what we typically consider as wildlife conservation. In fact, it will require a ‘whole-of-society’ approach.
While that sounds daunting, much of what needs to be done to restore wildlife and nature are transformations that we need to make anyhow for economic security and for people’s health and safety, such as the rapid transition to decarbonized power systems to maintain a stable climate.
Here I will explore one of these needed transformations to make people safer that can be done in ways that also protect or restore wildlife and nature: flood-risk management in response to rising danger from floods, fueled by climate change and other factors. At the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) next month, governments should make good on past commitments to provide funding for low-income countries to adapt to rising climate risks, including floods, and they can do this in ways that are consistent with protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems.
River flooding is already the world’s most damaging form of disaster, averaging approximately $115 billion in costs per year. The World Bank reports that 1.5 billion people worldwide are at risk from flooding, with one-third of them considered to be poor and thus particularly vulnerable to property losses, dislocation and economic disruptions.
There are several drivers of rising flood risk globally. First, new development often occurs in areas prone to flooding. A recent study projected that, between 2015 and 2030, nearly half of global urban development—500,000 km2, an area the size of Spain—will occur in areas at risk of flooding.
Second, countries with mature systems of flood-management infrastructure (e.g., dams and levees), often have underfunded maintenance and replacement. As a result, these systems are aging and deteriorating. For example, every two years, the American Society of Civil Engineers releases a report card for infrastructure in the United States and their 2021 report card gave both levees and dams a letter grade of “D. ” They noted that hundreds of billions of dollars will be needed to rehabilitate structures to get them up to current standards.
Third, changes in land use are also increasing flood risk. The expansion of urban areas—with their extensive hard surfaces such as buildings, roads and parking lots—prevents rainwater from soaking into the soil, dramatically increasing rates of runoff and flood levels. Drainage systems in agricultural areas can also accelerate runoff and increase flood heights downstream.
Thus, for a variety of reasons, flood risk is rising in much of the world even if temperatures and rainfall patterns were holding steady. But they are not holding steady. The climate change we’ve experienced to date (an approximately 1.2° C increase in average global temperature) is already driving increases in flood frequency and magnitude. Scientists can now do “attribution studies” to discern the influence of climate change on the probability that a given flood event occurred. For example, the research organization World Weather Attribution studied the devastating floods in Europe in the summer of 2021, which killed over 200 people. They concluded that the warming experienced to date had increased the likelihood of a flood event of that magnitude, within a range of 20% more likely to nine times more likely.
Even if we successfully hit the most ambitious climate target (keeping warming below 1.5° C), flood losses will increase considerably. With that level of warming, the number of people exposed to river flooding is projected to increase by 50–60% and flood damages are projected to increase by 160–240% (with global losses reaching nearly US$400 billion per year). Warming of 2° C would result in a doubling of the people affected by floods and an increase in damages up to 520% compared to today. This is a surprisingly large increase in losses relative to warming of 1.5° C, underscoring that seemingly small differences in temperature can have major differences in disruption to people’s lives.
Global flood risk today and areas projected to have increased flood risk due to climate change. Data … [+] for current flood risk (blue colors) and projected future flood risk (hatching) were managed within the Water Risk Filter (WRF; waterriskfilter.panda.org). Current risk is based on data from the Dartmouth Flood Observatory’s Global Active Archive of Large Flood Events between 1985 and 2021. Projected increase in flood frequency (hatching) is based on projected changes to the return period of the discharge currently calculated to be 100-year flood, from multi-model mean projections centered at the year 2050, using RCP8.5. Used with permission from One Earth.
Opperman and Galloway 2022
Due to this layering of rising risk on top of current vulnerabilities, keeping communities safe from flooding will need to be a major priority of governments over the next few decades. In the past, flood-risk management has most commonly focused on building dams, levees and floodwalls, designed to keep floodwaters away from people. In addition to the maintenance challenges discussed above, this strict reliance on infrastructure can have a range of unintended consequences. By preventing floodwater from spreading out on floodplains, levees can accelerate flood waves downstream, increasing risk for others. Levees and dams also can produce a misguided sense of security, leading to dramatic increases in development on what are perceived as now-protected floodplains, resulting in far higher damages if a levee fails or is overtopped. As a testament to this effect, annual flood damages in the U.S. tripled in constant dollars during the last century, even as tens of billions was spent on flood-management infrastructure.
Further, dams and levees fragment river systems and disconnect rivers from biologically productive floodplains and wetlands. The Living Planet Index revealed an 83% decline on average in freshwater-dependent vertebrate populations since 1970. Various studies have found that dams and levees are among the leading drivers of the decline of freshwater ecosystems and species.
These various limitations and unintended consequences of engineered infrastructure have led to growing calls from flood managers for a “diversified portfolio” approach.
While keeping floodwaters away from people (e.g., using levees or floodwalls) will remain necessary in many places, that strategy should be complemented by keeping people away from floodwaters, such as through more careful zoning. Flood risk also can be reduced by directing floodwaters to the places we want to flood—wetlands and floodplains—in order to take pressure off the places we don’t want to flood, such as cities and farmlands.
This diversified portfolio approach can make a critical contribution to halting, and even reversing, the decline of nature and wildlife. More careful zoning that avoids development on floodplains will not only keep people out of harm’s way, it will also reduce conversion of these key habitats. Nature-based Solutions (NbS), defined as interventions that use ecosystems or natural processes to achieve a societal goal, can combine flood management with large-scale protection or restoration of floodplains and wetlands.
Specific examples of NbS for flood management include (and see figure below):
· Protection of forests, wetlands and floodplains to store and convey floodwaters to reduce flood levels in other places we want to protect
· Reconnecting rivers with floodplains to allow floodwaters more room to spread out, by repositioning levees further away from the river and/or through features called flood bypasses.
· Using “green infrastructure” in urban areas to slow, hold back and store runoff and allow it to soak into the soil, reducing stormwater and flood risk. These features can include green roofs (vegetation on top of buildings), swales, wetlands and parks. As a bonus, these features can also make cities cooler in the summer and increase access to nature for city dwellers.
· Allowing rivers to deliver sediment to their deltas, building new land and protecting deltas and the people and agriculture that depend on them.
A conceptual diagram of status quo land and river management (above) compared to using Nature-based … [+] Solutions (NbS) for flood-risk management (below). NbS include flood bypasses, setting levees back from the river, wetlands, urban green infrastructure, and maintaining free flowing rivers and their sediment supply. Used with permission from One Earth.
Opperman and Galloway 2022
All of these NbS interventions can help halt the decline of freshwater wildlife. If implemented at large scales, they can contribute to the restoration of the habitats they need to recover. At COP26 in Glasgow, wealthy countries have committed to directing $40 billion a year toward climate adaptation in vulnerable countries. At COP27, countries should commit to following through on these pledges. When they do, NbS should play a major role in these adaptation projects, so that the projects needed to keep people safe can also help wildlife recover.
In subsequent posts, I’ll go deeper on these various NbS, including how they contribute to flood-risk reduction and how they contribute to the recovery of wildlife.
It’s been a while since I last visited this object, a dust cloud on the Andromeda / Cassiopeia border (http://andrewluck.me.uk/?p=1058 & http://andrewluck.me.uk/?p=948). This is the first time with a monochrome camera and RGB filters; previous attempts have been with the KAF8300 equipped QHY9C OSC camera.
The field with the G3-16200 is much larger and provides a better context for the object. Better data, and much improved processing skills have revealed a lot more of the surrounding faint clouds.
This is about 12 hours of RGB data acquired in 10 minute subframes. I’m not a fan of LRGB imaging and very rarely use luminance, preferring instead to spend longer capturing the colour data at bin 1×1. Processing is exclusively Pixinsight.
They met by chance in college during a freak snow storm… in October. Both snowed in, with the campus deserted and no where to go… they ended up seeking shelter at a friend’s place. And that night is where their paths crossed.
From the moment they met, they just clicked. And it wasn’t long before they found themselves planning their lives around each other. Navigating new jobs, cities, and responsibilities… they’ve supported each other through each adventure together.
Their love is one that challenges and pushes each other out of their comfort zone, yet simultaneously utterly embraces exactly who each other are. <3 So it’s no surprise that when Brian proposed in their favorite spot in the city, Washington Square, Caitlin said YES to a lifetime by his side.
And to document their beautiful day was an absolute joy and honor!! Brian & Caitlin, thank you for choosing me! You’ve been SO wonderful to work with and it’s days like these that remind me allllll over again what a dream it is to do what I do! I’m so excited to be sharing more from your beautiful day and hope you can forever relive it through these images! Xo
Vendor Credits: Photographer | Caroline Logan Photography Second Shooter | Vanessa Shenk Planner | Something Blu Bridal Prep | Renaissance Philadelphia Venue | Museum of The American Revolution Florist | Rich Mar Florist DJ | Ebe Talent Hair & Makeup Artist | Alisha Nycole Invitations | The Paper Bag Wedding Gown | BHLDN Shoes | Sole Society Groom’s Attire | Ernesto Custom Catering | Brulee Catering Cinematographer | Kristian Golick Films
For Photographers: Love creamy skintones & soft colors? Learn to edit light & airy here!
CUMBERLAND – For a career, her love for animals won out.
“I was a shy, awkward kid,” recalled Genelle Uhrig, “but always up for an adventure outside. My friends and I would ride our bikes everywhere, climb trees, build forts, and play in the streets. I dreamed of travelling and experiencing new places. I never dreamed I’d end up at The Wilds.”
Today, Uhrig is the director of ecology at The Wilds.
“Even after graduate school,” she added, “I had no idea such a place existed – a place that combines both worlds of wildlife conservation, zoology and ecology. I still get excited every day driving into work and seeing rhinos and giraffes out in pasture. It’s truly a remarkable institution and I’m grateful to be working here.”
Uhrig, 39, grew up in Flint, Michigan. She graduated from high school there in 2001, Michigan State University in 2014 with a degree in fisheries and wildlife, then earned a master’s in biological sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“I’ve always had a creative side and I’m a visual person,” she said, “so in high school I decided I wanted to be a photographer. The thought of travelling and capturing the beauty and wonders of the world was very appealing. I took visual arts and photography courses in high school and after graduating, pursued a degree in photography.
“It was an exciting time then,” she added, “as digital camera technology was still very new, so I learned both film and digital techniques. My favorite place was in the darkroom, processing my own film and photos. My passion was fine-art and nature photography, and I dreamed of working for National Geographic. After graduating, though, I became discouraged as it became apparent that to make a living in photography, I’d have to do commercial photography and my youthful awkwardness around people didn’t lend itself well to that side of the profession.
“When considering what I could pursue instead,” she continued, “I went back to the experiences that brought me joy when I was younger – exploring nature and being around animals. That’s when I found the career path of a wildlife conservationist, and that ultimately led me to where I am today.”
Uhrig started working at The Wilds in March 2020.
“Genelle is an instrumental member of the leadership team at The Wilds,” assessed Dr. Joe Smith, vice president of The Wilds. “Through her coordination, Genelle’s team plans and implements numerous projects focused on native wildlife and restoring natural Ohio habitats. It’s these ‘boots on the grounds’ projects that makes The Wilds stand out as a conservation leader.”
“I’ve always had a love for animals for as long as I can remember,” Uhrig responded. “I grew up with pets always around and I wanted to be a veterinarian. As I got older, I wasn’t sure if I could perform surgeries on animals, so I abandoned that idea, but my love for animals continued.
“Each summer,” she added, “my mom took my brother and I on camping trips across Michigan, and that’s where my love for nature began. The thought of having a career where I can combine my love of animals and nature and make a genuine impact protecting wildlife, especially rare and endangered species, was (and still is) very exciting.”
The Wilds is located at 14000 International Road in Cumberland. For more information, call 740-638-5030 or log on www.thewilds.org.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at [email protected].
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Science Center is welcoming a new astrophotography exhibit called “Capturing the Cosmos.”
This exhibit, on display Oct. 29 through Jan. 29, 2023, will feature a selection of cosmic images by Derek Demeter, a renowned astrophotographer and director of the Emil Buehler Planetarium at Seminole State College.
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Visitors will be able to see these images in “Fusion: A STEAM Gallery” at Orlando Science Center.
Photos of scenic nightscapes, celestial bodies within space, colorful nebulae and expansive galaxies uniquely shot from Florida will all be featured in this exhibit.
According to a news release from Orlando Science Center, Demeter has been passionate about stargazing since he was a child and his interest in astrophotography stemmed from his college photography courses where he used the school’s telescope to capture a photo of the Orion Nebulae.
“Demeter wants this show to capture the audience’s imagination and unlock a passion for the night sky. He hopes it inspires an appreciation and respect for our night sky and encourages people to preserve our dark spaces for generations to come,” according to the release.
“Capturing the Cosmos” is included with admission, which costs $24 for adults and $18 for kids ages 2 to 11.
For more information or to pre-purchase general admission tickets, click here.
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Published in Astronomy Now (Jan 2018)
